How Far Back Can We Go? - With Banknotes! Looking For -1894-

Germany
5000 Mark
1922

Wow, thanks for the write-up, oriole! Notgelds can be quite interesting, and those are definitely no exceptions.

-----

For 1922, here is another 5000 mark note from Germany:

More Bielefeld.

This spectacular embroidered one is made of yellow silk:




The obverse has political commentary. but not all of the note is so heavy.

Left: Sausage seller

Was die Grosse Wurst unter den Würsten, Das ist der Kaiser unter den Fürsten
'What the big sausage is to the sausages, the Kaiser is to the princes'.

Right: The devil ("Profiteering" on his arm) and women

Mit Frauen und Teufeln ist's schlect bestellt seit leinwand u. Seide bedruckt wird als Geld
'Women and Devils are badly off since linen and silk are used to print money

Around the inner edge of the note, in small black lettering, can be found some tombstone inscriptions from the Alstadt church:
"Here lies my wife. Thy will be done.She used to quarrel with everyone.So passer-by, get lost to view,Or up she'll rise and nag you too!" and:

"Here lies the body of Johann Merkel. As a child he was a Ferkel. (a young pig) He grew up to be a hog, Now what's become of the dirty dog?"
#8195;


The reverse shows an embroidered anthropomorphic turnip. This is not a joke, but is a kind of homage to this vegetable. The turnip crop in Bielefeld saved many people from starving in the winter of 1916-17.

From 1921, I have my only piece of German notgeld: 75 pfennig from Kneitlingen.

More notgeld!

Deggendorf Stadt
25 & 50 Pfennig
1921

Are we ready for 1919 ?
====

1920 from Greiffenberg




The first picture has the saying :

Goldner Friede-Silbertaler
Eisern Krieg-Papiernes Geld

This loosely means:

Golden Freedom-Silver Thaler
Iron war-paper money

It seems to express a universal truth